The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast Spinal Tap II: The End Continues with Rob Reiner and Paul Feig (Ep. 566)
Sep 24, 2025
Rob Reiner, the legendary filmmaker behind classics like This Is Spinal Tap and The Princess Bride, joins Paul Feig for a captivating conversation about Spinal Tap II. They dive into the art of editing improvisations to create a cohesive film and how Reiner employs a documentary style by letting the crew appear in shots. He shares stories of rallying rock legends like Paul McCartney for authentic performances and discusses how internet culture inspired the sequel. Collaboration, emotion, and satire intertwine in this engaging filmmaking exploration.
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Edit Audio Before Visuals
- Stitch improvised audio first to create coherent conversations in editing.
- Use any visuals that match the audio because correct audio keeps viewers engaged.
Improv Creates Editable Dialogue Threads
- Improvised takes produce many alternate lines that can be combined into a single scene.
- Editors can craft narrative rhythm by selecting audio threads that preserve conversational flow.
Cutting A Long Gag Down Works
- Reiner described a cut herpes gag that originally required many setup scenes and was trimmed to two guys with sores.
- The shortened bit still landed and made audiences laugh despite losing the longer setup.